This photo, taken in Palm Springs, shows the tilt shift effect in Instagram.
Courtesy of Instagram user tenderbuttons

When Instagram finally arrived on Android, it was missing a major photo effect that iOS users had been enjoying for some time: tilt shift. Just over a month after its release, Instagram for Android has been updated to finally include tilt shift. It's a fun little effects tool that can make subjects in your photos appear miniature or to create a shallow depth of field.

Here's how to use tilt shift:

1. After choosing a photo, tap the new teardrop icon in the effects toolbar and choose whether you want a radial or linear tilt shift.

Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

2. By default, the tilt-shift effect will center the effect on the photo, but you can move it around by dragging your finger on the screen. You can also pinch the screen to resize the area to which you want to apply the tilt-shift effect. For the linear tilt shift, you can even drag the ends up and down, to apply a diagonal shift.

Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

3. To remove the tilt-shift effect, tap on the teardrop icon again and select the X.

Here's an example of how tilt-shift can be used to create a miniaturization effect: